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Summary of the impact

Exeter Drama's research in Applied Theatre has had impact in the
improvement of community understandings of mental health, providing
professional development for medics and teachers, and providing and
informing training in applied and community theatre. This case study
outlines the impact of last twenty years of research and performance
practice in applied theatre, developed by Honorary Research Fellow (2005-)
and former senior lecturer (1990-2005) John Somers, and continued
in the work of Fiona MacBeth, Kerrie Schaefer, Sarah Goldingay,
Anna Harpin, and Jane Milling. Somers developed
new approaches to community theatre and has given presentations on this
work internationally. Impact has also been achieved through Somers'
founding of the applied theatre company Exstream (Exeter, 2001)
and under his direction Exstream achieved a reputation for excellence
through the development of interactive theatre, raising awareness of
issues related to wellbeing, mental health, and creativity within the
community.

Underpinning research

Research into Applied Theatre has focussed on the use of theatre as a
means of raising public and professional awareness of the cultural
contexts and experience of illness. Somers' work has been
groundbreaking in modelling, analysing and developing a form of
interactive theatre that effectively engages audiences and communities
(professional or geographical) in narratives of illness and stress. This
research is done through both creative practice and publication. From
2002-6, five interactive plays, authored and directed by Somers, were core
to this practical research, performed and toured by the company, Exstream,
established in 2001. Of these, On the Edge (2004) (3.6) has proved
the most significant, touring nationally (123 performances to more than
5000 people). 79 performances were in schools, colleges and universities
where the audience was aged between 14 and 22. In addition 44 performances
were held for teachers and mental health professionals as a part of
continuing professional development or at conferences (5.1)). This
practical research is significant for its focused aim in raising awareness
of early stage psychosis through a combination of theatre performance and
subsequent classroom interaction. Somers collaborated with psychologists
and psychiatrists in creating this work, resulting in a fruitful exchange
across disciplines.

The `compound stimulus' of play and teaching package was tested through On
the Edge and other productions. An independent evaluation of the
Wellcome Trust funded research project, On the Edge, confirmed the
efficacy of Somers' methodologies concluding that 'data show increased
student awareness and knowledge of psychosis following completion of the
programme' and that 'Students appear to be better equipped to
seek help' (5.1). This test-bed production received the following
awards: Southern Region Health and Social Care Mental Health Award
(2005) National Institute of Mental Health in England (NIMHE) Positive
Practice Award (2005), NIMHE Service User Involvement Award
(2005).

Somers' publications and papers have detailed the findings of the
research and helped to disseminate these discoveries further in
peer-reviewed publications (3.1-5).

Somers' development of community theatre has also been innovative,
including twelve theatre projects and the foundation of a community
theatre school in Payhembury, East Devon. This work is distinctive in
identifying ways to widen the skills base in the community and to improve
levels of engagement and participation in theatre activity through
targeted training, informing publications (e.g. 3.2).

In addition, Somers founded the journal Research in Drama
Education, the leading international journal in the
field, and is founding director of a related triennial international
research conference that attracted researchers from thirty-two countries in
2008 (its sixth meeting) and which has become the premier international
research event in Applied Drama. Prior to awards made within the impact
period (4), Somers' gained an American Alliance of Theatre and Education
Special Recognition Award (2003).

Somers' establishment of Applied Theatre as a major research field in
both publication and practice has established a strong grounding for
developing theatre's impact on wellbeing, healthcare and medicine in the
Drama department at Exeter. Our Centre for Performance, Sciences, and
Community has been formed to support this work. At present, there are
ongoing funded projects being undertaken by Harpin (2010-), Goldingay
(2010-), Milling (1995-), and Schaefer (2007-) which will
lead to further impact in this important field.

References to the research

All publications are published in peer reviewed journals, and/or
international scholarly presses. Reference 6 was externally funded by the
Wellcome Trust, after rigorous peer review.

6. On the Edge — award-winning interactive theatre programme on
early stage psychosis, 2004. Funded by The Wellcome Trust for a national
tour 2004-5 (£165,000).

Details of the impact

Improving people's understanding of mental health

On the Edge (3.6) and other works 2002-6 tested a
Theatre-in-Education methodology, comprising both play and related
learning activities. The methodology has become an important reference
point and has continuing impact, through published reflection (3.1,3,4),
revivals and new projects based on this tested approach.

Somers was instrumental in supporting the establishment of the Polish
Association of Drama Practitioners (Stop Klatka), who translated On
the Edge into Polish as Na Krawędzi. This toured Poland in a
fourth version (2008), funded by the Polish Ministry of Social Affairs,
with 700 young people taking part in the project, and Somers as consultant
(5.3).

Somers was invited to create an interactive programme on self-harm at The
Drama Studio LABYRINT, Brno, Czech Republic, in association with Masaryk
University, based on his previous research. This programme was delivered
seven times from 2008-9, to 326 spectators, mainly young people. In 2010,
in the same context, Somers developed a programme on aggression for Roma
children. This was analysed and evaluated by researchers, confirming its
effectiveness, and was delivered ten times, usually in schools, reaching
397 spectators.

Somers' created a further programme for the veterinary profession, Help
for Helen (2011, London Vet Show at Olympia) and a video (with Ben
Sherriff) Breakdown Breakthrough, available online. Both raise
awareness of mental health issues.

Providing professional development for medics and teachers

In 2009, On the Edge was adopted by the National Early
Intervention development programme led by NIMHE and Rethink, building on
previous experience (5.1), as part of their National Anti-stigma Campaign.
It toured in 2009 and 2010 with their support (with funding of £15,765 in
2009 and £16,714, 2010) to UK teacher training institutions as part of an
'Education Not Discrimination' mental health awareness workshop for
trainee teachers, trainee head teachers and Social inclusion leads.
Participating teacher training universities were Manchester, Sussex,
Leicester, Birmingham (Newman University College) and Brighton. A Teachers'
TV programme comments on the role the workshop played in informing
teachers, which `could really impact on a lot of lives'. A
Consultant Psychiatrist regards On the Edge as `far and away
the most effective vehicle' for `improving relationships between
young people, schools, families and mental health professionals'.

Providing and informing training in applied and community theatre

Internationally and locally, Somers' work has been significant in
stimulating and informing applied and community drama:

As a consultant on Stop Klatka's institution of the only Applied Drama
School in Poland, delivering its first training programme in 2011. His
article (3.2) is regarded as is `very important for drama
practitioners in Poland' (5.3). His work at Warsaw University has
led to a relationship between researchers in Exeter with the Institute
of Social Prevention and Resocialisation (for example, Schaefer
presented and was consulted on community theatre there in 2009) (5.4).

Stimulating and advising on the creation of professional Theatre in
Education networks in Greece and Asia. A Japanese researcher comments `The
opportunities he has created have given birth to a network which is
stimulating co-operative research in Asia and in other parts of the
world.' (5.2), while in Taiwan,it is suggested that his work
initiated `the beginning of a successful use of educational theatre'(5.6).
In Greece, `one can easily trace his impact' on drama and
education (5.5).

The company, Exstream, has provided opportunities for recent graduates
to develop applied theatre skills and many are now working in related
contexts: Laura Newton, project director for Exeter Forum Theatre,
working with homeless people, in association with Wolf & Water,
Devon; Carly Mays, a Community Engagement Officer for The National
Trust; Peter Vanderford, DAISI (Arts in Schools); Pavla Cveckova, life
skills teacher, Malawi; Sanjay Shelat, actor, TiE for Wrigleys.

The Community Theatre School in Payhembury has continued to develop as
a model for spreading theatre-making skills in communities. Original
work has resulted, such as New Talking Heads, a series of
performed and videoed monologues, Foresight supported by £10 000
from the National Lottery in 2008 and Hollyhayes, a
sophisticated community theatre production on a farm in Payhembury in
2011.

Indicators: Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award from the Turkish
Drama Association, (2011); Shortlisted in 2011 for the Association of
Theatre in Higher Education (North America) for the Award for Leadership
in Community-Based Theatre and Civic Engagement

Invited lectures and workshops: over 20 during the Impact period
(2008-13) in Europe and the Middle East.

Sources to corroborate the impact

Individual corroboration: mails/letters/documents sent to institution

Professor, Tokyo City University, Faculty of Human Life Science
(e-mail supplied to institution)